On any given day, almost one in three Web users, 30 percent, go online for no particular reason, for fun, or to pass the time. That’s according to a recent study released by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

Pew surveyed 3,000 adults last December, and their results indicate that…broadband users and young adults were more likely to turn to the Web without particular reasons than were dial-up users or senior citizens.

Not surprisingly, 37 percent of respondents between the ages 18 and 29 went online on an average day for no particular reason, compared to 31 percent of those between 30 and 49, 25 percent of people 50 to 64 years old, and 20 percent of people 65 and older.

How does this affect Internet marketing? Consider the desires of your target demographic: if you’re aiming for a younger market, you should be looking at ways to make your web site (and their visit) more interactive. Video, audio, interactive games are all a good bet if you want to engage these users and entice them to spend time on your site.

Dial-up users, on the other hand, are mostly using the Internet to seek out specific information, and will not want to wait for large video or flash files to load. Give them solid content, and they will likely stick around for a while.

And don’t expect things to stay the same. As more and more Internet users embrace broadband, you can expect to see a corresponding increase in surfing behavior. Which means that web sites will have to work even harder to hold a user’s interest.

The upside of this is that this Darwinian environment should create better content in the long run.

Ok, ‘fess up time – I’m a closet fan of American Idol, especially the audition footage.

We’re still seeing contestants who (hilariously!) can’t carry a tune or a clue. These are people who are self-professed American Idol fans, and yet…yet…they don’t seem to have watched one single millisecond of any of the previous shows.

So many of these hopefuls apparently have no idea what the judges are looking for. What else can explain the plethora of twins (no couplet has ever made it to the final cut), the costumes (one guy showed up dressed as a jester – didn’t get to sing one note), the guy in Las Vegas who sounded possessed (really – he needed a priest and about a gallon of holy water), and the multitude of folks who have clearly never taken the opportunity to avail themselves of a tape recorder ($19.84 at WalMart).

It makes me long for the tuneful strains of William “She Bangs” Hung.

Audition Hint, people: American Idol is a pop show, and they’re looking for pop idols. So appearing as a gimmick isn’t going to help you make the cut. It may get you in front of the judges, but they ain’t gonna send a guy dressed in a duck suit on an all-expenses-paid trip to Hollywood. It’s not about what you think is cool; it’s about what the judges want. They are your audience

Know your audience.

This precept applies equally to copywriting. Before you begin to write, ask “What does my audience want? What problem do they need to be solved? How do I give them what they want?”

There’s too much “meme” copy around. You know the kind I mean – blah, blah, blah, me, me, me, blah, blah, blah, me again. This is the copy that talks to the audience, but not with the audience. It’s copy that blathers on and on – about the company, or the product, or the consultant, or the service – but never gives the audience the information they want. It’s all gimmick and no talent.

What your audience wants is the answer to their questions and the solution to their problems. They don’t care how wonderful you are if you can’t get the job done. It’s about their needs, their hopes, and their desires.

And if you want to go to Hollywood, you’ll give your judges what they want.

Getting – and keeping – your prospect’s attention is THE most powerful weapon in yourprofit-generating arsenal. And no one knows how to shoot your marketing messagestraight to your prospect’s heart (and wallet!) than a professional copywriter.

The right words go straight to the heart of what makes your customers and prospects tick.The right words can explode your web site, make your sales brochure sing, createdynamite direct mail – perk up any of your marketing and publicity materials!

And a freelance copywriter is simply the smartest way to get the best return from yourinvestment – if you work with a professional freelance copywriter.

As a professional copywriter, I make it my business to learn about your business. That’show I craft the kind of clear, persuasive communications that helps you succeed. I’m smart,creative, strategic, and passionate about what I do.

You’ll get a copywriter who “gets it”. You’ll get powerful words targeted to achieve a powerfulresult. You’ll get a first draft that needs minimal revisions. You’ll get your copy on time andon budget.